Status Hallucinating
by DrivenByWanderlust
Summary: Bella turned to drugs in NM when Edward left- and Charlie decided to send her to a reality show with other teen drug addicts. The Cullens end up finding the show... R&R. Thanks to Lig. Mature for drugs, and possible sex in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. No money is being made. Satisfied?**

_-Rubs hands together- well, folks. Here's a story. This is my first (have mercy) fanfiction, and I'm really nervous. I don't take insults well, so please don't flame me. _

_Btw- major thanks to my best friend- Priya, who is reading this. God bless her.  
_

_This story takes place in New Moon. Edward has left- rather spectacularly conveniently, for me sake- and Bella turned to drugs for a distraction, when nothing else worked. And the rest? Well... read on..._

_-Claps hands- Chapter commence..._

* * *

I got my first bit of LSD from a druggie named Jess Rickets, who went to Forks High with me, in the woods behind the school. You couldn't do those sorts of things in the middle of the hallways, could you? I had asked- and told her that if she gave it to me, I wouldn't tell my dad (mentioning casually his name on duty, Police Chief Swan) if she gave it to me. Shockingly she had it on her person, as well.

I wouldn't have told Charlie though, even if she hadn't given it to me. The girl grinned at me, her teeth were yellow, and she smelled rank.

"Nice choice, Swan. First times free, I guess." As though being caught didn't frighten her.

I had waited to take it until I had gotten back home, and written Charlie a note downstairs, saying I didn't feel good, and was in bed sleeping off a migraine. Hopefully, he wouldn't check on me. He could order out pizza for tonight.

I swallowed the little pellets of powder, and ignored the bitter taste. I thought of Edward. He'd been gone for so long, it seemed. I missed him so much that it hurt me physically to think about it. My stomach clenched, and my heart skipped and sank. Tears filled my eyes- and before I could think of him any further, I took the drugs, and tossed myself back on the bed, to stare at the ceiling.

I cannot quite remember the moment where everything shifted into a dreamlike world that was full of understanding. I felt like I comprehended things that had been difficult before- that I understood secret meanings, even if they weren't there.

The cracks in the ceiling were shifting into odd scenes- full of color. A man winking at her. A horse running across her ceiling until it vanished into the wall. Flowers. I felt like I could smell the moldy wood from the floors, the paint on the walls, the dust on the drapes. I swore that I saw straight through the ceiling, into the sky, where birds were flying, and misty clouds swayed.

When I awoke covered in sweat, but feeling frozen. I was shivering, and felt an unfamiliar rolling in my stomach, like it's contents were going to make appearances.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was four in the morning. I had been on drugs for twelve hours straight...

Those were twelve hours I hadn't been thinking of Edward. Twelve hours of bliss, and color, senses, and lights...

I decided then, that maybe I should see that Jess Rickets more often. Next time, with a little cash, perhaps...

I did meet her again, and that day she was out of LSD, and gave me cocaine instead. I didn't like it as much- because of the crash.

The first time I crashed wasn't good, at all. I spent what seemed like hours shaking too badly for me to walk. I laid on my bed, and stared at the ceiling, with horrible thoughts in my head.

Thoughts of how worthless I was.

Thoughts of how Edward left, and he wasn't coming back- ever.

Thoughts of confusion- why was I still even living, anymore?

And do you want me to be honest?

The crashing never really got better.

And to be even more honest?

I knew some of those thoughts were true, and that hurt more than anything else.

X

"Bella? Don't be mad at me anymore. It's childish. This for your own good, and you know it."

I was unaware that Charlie had even been talking, and I guess that was a bad thing. But even if his talking had squirmed its way through my drug induced high, I would have ignored him. Perhaps it was childish, but it gave me great satisfaction.

Charlie was taking away my freedom. My privacy. My drugs. All of it- and if satisfaction was all I could get, I would do my best to get it.

He had submitted me to a show where teenage drug addicts were sent, when their families had no hope. A fucking reality television show. My thin little figure and dark circled eyes would be cast from Maine to Alaska- every week, Sunday nights, from six P.M. to eight. It was humiliating. Degrading. Was it even legal- to do something like this without my own consent?

Yet here we were, sitting outside this building (grudgingly I'll admit, the building was nice), waiting for my big debut. I would be interviewed on how I feel about coming to the show, and if I have any hopes on what to accomplish.

I would be spending my days with my own room- thankfully, but it would be under surveillance. Some of the videos would even be shown on television. The house was filled with nine other teens all with "unhealthy addictions". They would be my only companions, other than the doctors, for six weeks.

I assumed that perhaps six weeks was the legal limits to how long they could do this, without consent.

"Get out of the car Bella."

"No Charlie." I clenched my hands around the seat belt. My knuckles shined white. My pupils were probably huge- and the dashboard in front of me seemed to move, and sway. Breathe.

"Bella if you don't get out, they will find people to drag you out." His voice was tired. Or maybe it was just a hallucination.

"Bella- now," he hissed, and his hands were on mine, trying to unclench my fingers. I was too mesmerized by the organic dashboard.

The door to the right of me opened, and I felt strong, warm hands on my arms, and I was being drug from the car. There were people taking my picture towards the right, screaming questions at me. I could hardly make out a word, but I think I was smiling.

The inside of the building was nice, decorated just the way a house would be. On the walls though- there were inspirational messages.

_Give hugs not drugs._ I felt sick.

There was a girl sitting at a bar-like counter, slumped over, resting her face on the counters top. I tried to stumble my way towards her, and finally took a seat on the chair next to her, and dropped my head in the same fashion. Her face was turned towards me, and we locked eyes. Her's were a deep green, and bloodshot. Her fingernails which were clenching into her arms were sharp, and dirty. Jagged.

"Hi," She said, her voice sounding gravely.

"Hi," I replied to be polite.

Her little nose was upturned, and she had freckles on her nose and cheeks. Too much time in the sun.

"Emily," she rasped out, and her eyes fell closed- but she wasn't sleeping, just resting them I knew by her unsteady breathing pattern.

"My name isn't Emily."

"I know. Mine is."

"Oh, mines Bella."

"That's a nice name."

"Maybe."

We were quiet, and I could hear more talking, people entering the room, and someone plopped down on the bar stool next to me. An arm wrapped around my waste.

"Darling," a voice said in a phony French accent. "Did it hurt?"

"Yeah, really badly," I answered, figuring he was using that cheesy pick-up line on me. The one where a man asks if it hurt when you fell from Heaven. By the frown on his face, I had guess correctly.

"Oh. Hm. Well, I'm Robert. Don't worry, I know your name, it's sarcastic bitch, isn't it? SB for short, huh?" Robert said, leaning forward to put his elbows on the bar. He had blond hair, cut short, and electric blue eyes. Perfect teeth, and dimples. He was much taller than me- past six feet tall, I could tell, even though we were sitting.

"Yeah, you must be physic," I mumbled, and looked back towards Emily. Her eyes were still closed. I think this time she was really asleep.

Suddenly, a female voice rang out loud through the room, catching our attention. I saw with a glance around that it was filled, with what looked like the other teenagers here. I didn't bother to wake Emily- poor thing looked half dead. I wondered if I looked that way. Dark circles under my eyes, dangerously thin, and cracked, chapped lips.

Roberts arm was still around me, and he smiled at me gently, making up for his odd greeting.

"Alright, everybody- we'll be taking you one at a time into this room-" A red, frizzy haired woman put her palm on an oak door, behind her. "-and ask you all a few questions, so our viewers can get to know you better. Kelsi Winters, why don't you start?"

A brunette with brown eyes, who looked healthier than the rest of us left the room, and the instant the door closed, we all began talking again, the murmur of voices growing.

I turned to Emily, and woke her up. She jumped, startled, her eyes wide, and pupils huge. High like a fucking kite.

"Hey- they're interviewing us. I don't know when you'll be called, just thought you might like a little preparation."

"Thanks," Emily tried to clear the rasp from her throat. "Gosh- do I always sound this manly? I never sound like this with some vodka in my blood- honest."

"I wouldn't know how you usually sound," I said, grinning. She grinned back- she was missing a tooth, but the rest were white, startlingly so. She must brush constantly.

"Yeah, I guess not. I'm not a transvestite though, honest."

I laughed, and looked around. There was a dark skinned girl leaning casually against the wall, talking to a tall lanky boy, with skin as pale as his white blond hair. Two boys, one tanned, and the other with curly brown hair were engaged in deep conversation on the sofa, leaning towards each other and casting everyone else distrustful glances.

The last group of girls were both blond- with different shades, but they were talking animatedly in a corner. Delightful.

"Hey? SB? You in there?" Robert was nearly screaming in my ear, knocking his knuckles against my forehead, until I was sure I would bruise- I had always been an easy bruiser.

Bruising led to thoughts of my clumsiness- a quality which- Edward had always found amusing. I winced at the turn my thoughts were heading for, and nodded to Robert, who's pale eyebrow was raised up high.

"Good- because that fire-crotch over there is calling your name like she's orgasming. _Go to her_." Robert laughed hysterically, slapping his knee, and I laughed too, but only because he was. Sure, it had been a little funny, but I had the feeling Robert had a screw loose, perhaps.

Kelsi Winters was returning to the dark skinned girls group, and the red headed woman was shouting my name. I walked towards her, not stumbling once, in my drug induced haze, and followed her into the room.

The room was small, with dark walls, and blue carpeted floor, a single table sat- two chairs, across from each other- and I couldn't stand to look at the camera crew that were crammed opposite the chair I was suppose to sit.

I took a seat, and looked at the wood grains in the table. The table that was startlingly like the ones in Forks cafeteria High School.

No- think happy, colorful thoughts, Bella. I turned my eyes to the wall, and started seeing things that weren't really there- my favorite part of drugs. Hallucinating.

_Edward Cullen_

Alice was flicking through the channels like a maniac, and her thoughts were a chaotic mess. Swirling about airplanes, songs, and drugs. Normally, I didn't try to listen to my family's thoughts, but as of late, I had become obsessed with it. Listening to their nagging, little random thoughts of everything insignificant- anything not to think of Bella.

Bella, who was probably filling out college applications, now. Who was probably laughing, in some restaurant with a normal, human boyfriend. Bella who was-

-sitting on the television, in front of me. I hit the remote out of Alice's hand before she could turn it, but she was obviously not making any protests, to watch. In fact, this was the channel she had searching for, this whole time.

Bella's eyes were down, and she was drawing on the table with her finger. Her long brown hair was knotted, and falling across her shoulders in odd jerks.

"Do you want to tell the camera your name?" A soft voice asked. Bella glanced up, her eyes looking vacant, but still the same mahogany that I had loved.

"No, I don't."

"You've signed a contract-"

"My father signed the contract. Bring him in here, let him say his own name."

There was quiet whispering, in the background, and Bella was glaring at the table now.

"This is live. Name?" the woman asked, a second time, and her voice was laced with impatience.

"Bella Swan." Her voice was listless, so unlike the Bella I remembered.

"Why are you here Bella?"

"I have a problem, apparently."

"And what is your problem?"

"You're questions?"

"_Your problem_, Bella."

"Drugs."

My eyebrows furrowed, and my fists clenched on the remote that I had snatched from Alice. It crunched into a million little useless pieces, unto the floor, they dropped, like water drops.

"Drugs- what does she mean, _drugs?_" I hissed, turning my head to Alice, but keeping my eyes on the screen, firmly on Bella's angry face. Her face suddenly smiled, and her eyes were filled with an amusement that made them dance in the dim lighting. That looked for like Bella.

"What drugs do you take."

"LSD."

"Is that all the drugs you take, Bella?"

"And cocaine. It's all the ones I'm taking, currently."

"Currently? Are you on drugs now?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't walk into this room..." suddenly, Bella dissolved into giggles. "Butterflies!"

Bella pointed to the wall behind the woman and laughed, hysterically.

"Bella? Bella? Can someone get her out of here? I can't talk while she's high."

Bella was drug from the room by one man who looked like he could crush her into a million little pieces.

"Alice," I breathed, confused and horrified. "What is this?"

"Bella," Alice said sadly. "I didn't see anything but this show- honest. I wasn't looking, but.. it just came! She's been doing _drugs _Edward."

I mouthed the word, but no sound came out.

"Is it...?"

"Your fault? No. It's all of ours. We all left, Edward. This is..." Alice broke out into little sobs, and I put a hand on her shoulder, hoping to be comforting. Jasper would be better for that. The instant him and the family got back form hunting, me and Alice would tell them. And hopefully, go save Bella, from herself.

* * *

I am not on any drugs, so forgive my information if it is incorrect. I don't know how doctors would treat patients who are addicted to drugs, but I know that the doctors in this are real bitches- so they don't really treat anybody, much. Review, please. I don't write well without a few. :]


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. No money is being made. Satisfied?**

_I know... I've been gone a while... Sorry, I've been sick. I'm an ill person. This isn't quite up to par, but, eh.._

_Thanks to Priya, God bless her soul, and to all of those who reviewed- and pardon my grammar, I'm young, and my Language teachers suck. _

_-Claps hands- Chapter commence..._

* * *

_Bella Swan_

"Isabella? Isabella? When was the last time you have eaten?"

"What drug are you on?"

"Is there more than one?"

"Do you hurt anywhere?"

I was bombarded with questions as I was dragged from the room, and doctors were surrounding me.

"_I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together!_"

Suddenly it was my favorite Beatles line, I heard, screamed. It wasn't until a good five minutes later I realized it was me screaming it. I couldn't feel my mouth moving, but I could hear me. Was I muttering in desperately under my breath?

Hands were all over me, touching me. I didn't care, much. I could hardly feel it anyway.

"I am he as you are she and we are the... wait- that's wrong..." The light that was all around me was fading, but I didn't care. Even if my eyes closed- I could still see the colors, as if my hallucinations were coming from directly behind my eyelids, projecting into my high mind.

"I am so deep," I muttered, and then I was unconscious.

X

When I awoke, some girl was singing, over me.

"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are... Up above the world so high- you're awake!" It was the dark skinned girl I had seen from earlier. She had long black hair that was pinned back away from her face in an elegant, foreign clip. Her eyes were a dark, dark brown.

"What are you doing?" I asked, hitching up a blanket around me protectively.

"Oh- well, I thought you were on a bad trip. I had a bad trip once, and when I came out of it, there were stars all over the place, and ever since then, if I think of stars before I do my drugs, I don't have bad trips. I just tried to counter your... badness. No offense- I wasn't calling _you_ bad, no. Sorry, sometimes I say things and they just come out wrong, you know?"

"Yes- I do, it's fine. I understand."

The poor thing had rambled on for nearly thirty-seconds without even taking a breath... _That_ was talent. I guess.

"I wasn't seeing bad things, honestly," I wiped a line of dried drool away from the corners of my lips. I found whenever I did LSD I drooled- and it was a little embarrassing sometimes.

"You're all sweaty. No offense. Do you need a rag, or something? I'm sure I can.."

"That be nice, thanks," I mumbled before she could continue. I was afraid the girl would ramble on and on, and we would die in this room.

Speaking of room, I wasn't in the hospital, but a normal looking bedroom. Much cleaner than my one at home- which had gone straight to hell after my drugs picked up, but perfectly clean- eerily so. I could smell harsh cleaning chemicals, and it was making my sensitive stomach churn.

Emily was dead asleep on the bed next to me, her mouth wide open, and those perfect teeth exposed. Her mouth looked dry. I was afraid if I poured water down her mouth she would choke on it, or her tongue. She'd simply have to suffer. I wondered what she was on, absentmindedly.

I felt a little angry that I had been the only one caught, on drugs. And on national television... I blamed it on my hallucinations.

The dark skinned girl was back, and she wiped down my face. I closed my eyes and scrunched my nose at her mother-ness.

"Uh- thanks, but I can do that."

"Sorry, I tend to be a little... overbearing." The girl chuckled, nervously. As if I made her nervous.

"It's fine. Bella," I stuck out a hand- which I promptly cleaned off on the rag, before sticking out again, grinning. The girl smiled, and stuck her hand out as well.

"I'm Priyanka. You can call me Pinky if you like- most people do." **(Her name is Pree-yonk-ah)**

I chuckled. "You're name isn't that hard to pronounce- but don't tell me how to spell it, please."

Priyanka gave a loud laugh, and threw herself down on the last bed in the room. Emily occupied the one closest to the window- maybe after my lethargy wore off, I could drag her to the middle bed, so I could have the window...

The room was decorated souly in Purples. Not my favorite color- but it didn't drag up any bad memories, so I wouldn't protest it. Honestly, as long as I had an occupied (and preferably high) mind, life would be okay.

There was a television on the dresser that was in front of my bed, so that it was centered in the room, and all the beds could see it, if the people laying in them wanted to watch the television at the same time.

I looked around, and when I saw no remote, I crawled onto my stomach, and made my way to the television, turning it on with a sharp jab from my finger. It was cruel to make us have to get up, so. I flicked through the channels until I got to a local news channel, and turned it on as low as I could. I didn't like silence. I wanted some background noise.

"So, would you fill me in on everything?" I asked Priyanka, collapsing on my back and staring at the ceiling. My entire body ached and twitched, but it didn't faze me.

"Sure. Okay.. Um- well, we're here with seven other people, minus you and Em, don't worry, I'll introduce you to them later. Mainly, we're going to have therapy sessions- group therapy is on Sundays, that's aired on the TV, but we have are own little sessions that are private- well, I mean, it's filmed, but none of us are there. But get this- if I turn on the TV when the show is on, we can watch what everyone else is saying. Isn't that crazy? Oh- and wave to the camera!"

Priyanka turned towards a corner at the far edge of the room, where I could see what looked like a little security camera. I grinned at it- then flipped it off. Priyanka gasped and giggled, like a child.

"Anyways- you caused a big hype. It was all over the news, for a long time. Did you really see butterflies?" Priyanka asked, grinning.

I nodded, smiling fondly at the memory myself. Lots of butterflies- all over the place. They had crawled out of a crack in the wall and spread their wings until they were everywhere. It had been beautiful, and yet strangely hilarious...

"That's cool. Butterflies... whoa... Once, on LSD, I thought the moon was a cookie."

I cracked up, snorting and laughing, as though this was the most hilarious thing I had ever heard, but Priyanka laughed with me.

Emily groaned in her sleep, and rolled over on her side, towards us, her eyes cracking open, they were bloodshot, but still a pretty green. I found myself a little envious. I had grown an extreme dislike for my ordinary brown eyes- the ones he had found so extraordinary, my mind noted. I tried to focus on what Priyanka was going on about.

"-so then, what do you think about that?"

I tilted my head, sheepish. I had only spaced out for thirty seconds, and already had no idea what this girl was going on about. This girl would keep me on my toes, I guessed.

"I don't know." It was simply a classic response. She would probably try to plead the case for- whatever she was talking about, thus telling me what she had been talking about, while I was pitying myself. It was brilliant and devious.

"You don't know? He won't eat you, honestly. Unless you- no, he won't eat you."

I stared at her, wide eyed, feeling more confused now than before. Maybe my little plan had not been as clever as I had hoped.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Robert. He's invited us to lay around the pool for a while." She leaned in, and for a minute I thought she was going to lick my ear or something. She merely whispered in it.

"I think he smuggled drugs in."

My outlook brightened slightly, but I felt wary and pessimistic. We would get caught, no doubt. Did they give us regular drugs tests in this place, or did it operate on the honesty policy?

Would it matter if I was caught? There was little they people here could do to me that would keep me from the only thing that was acting like a glass wall between myself and insanity.

A picture of Edward was burned behind my eyes, and with the drugs, it was hazier. Never gone, but covered up a little.

That ache I had grown to hate sense he had left filled the space between my ribs, making me lonely, and sad.

"Hey- no sadness. I'm a sucker for tears. Come on, lets go. Em, you too. Get your lazy ass up."

Emily groaned, but was smiling a little. She drug herself into a sitting position, and stretched her limbs, wincing in pain, but her eyes bright with mischief. She turned to me, as Priyanka left the room.

"Are you coming?" Her voice was soft, and persuasive.

I nodded.

_Edward Cullen_

We waited for the entire family, having called Rosalie and Emmett (Who were spending their fourth honeymoon in Paris, the city of love) and while we waited, me and Alice watched the entire world rant about the newest reality television show, and mostly, about the girl who was my entire existence.

"It's obvious that it is people like Isabella Swan who are tainting the minds of our youth," said a blond woman with conviction. I flipped the channel, thankful that Alice had went out and bought another remote to replace the one I had pulverized.

The channel went to a group of dazed looking, disheveled people, varying in ages. There was a dark haired boy, with vacant brown eyes mumbling about how "That Swan chick was showing people how the drugs really effected people, making them happy, ya know?".

"Yeah," I snapped at him, completely aware that he would have no idea I was cursing him, "and that's why so many people die from them every year, and ruin their lives."

_Like Bella?_

I ignored this thought, and flicked the television off as Alice and Jasper returned, Rose and Emmett walking behind them, a few too many suitcases in their hands than humans probably could carry. There were no humans around for miles. No one to notice.

"Paris Edward. It might mean nothing to someone who hasn't left the house in nearly a year, but it means a lot to me!" Rosalie hissed, her face contorted in rage.

"Shut up Rosalie," I sapped at both her and her viscious thoughts. "I have a good reason!"

I flipped on the television.

I had to go through a few channels before I found a news station that was still airing what happened on the newest show sweeping America.

Bella's photo was on the screen, and the three news casters were debating back and forth on whether the show was a good or bad example for America's youth- as if anyone really cared these days. No matter how many shows demonstrated the negative effects drugs had over beings, it wouldn't stop the youth for going out and doing them anyway.

"You drug me half-way across the world, in the middle of my honeymoon, so I could look at some drug addict-"

"That drug addict is Bella!" I roared, my hands clenched in fists at my side. Jasper's eyes narrowed with the concentration it was taking to keep everyone's emotions in check- and I was glad that Esme and Carlisle wouldn't there. Their hurt would only add to Jasper's struggle.

Rosalie looked shocked, and Emmett was snatching the remote from my hands to ensure I didn't change the channel.

Rose took a seat, and put her hands in her lap, quietly. I kept out of her thoughts, because I wasn't sure of what I would hear. I had listened to people all over America bashing Bella for her poor choices, and I couldn't listen to my own family do it.

Emmett's thoughts were sympathetic to Bella, so I was briefly thankful.

"Edward... There's nothing we can do," Rosalie said, very gently for her.

I glared. She glared in return.

"Don't give me that look. You know it's true. It's your fault. You were so damn set against staying, that you made us change our entire existences, to accommodate your little wishes- and you'll have to suffer the consequences. We don't have the power to go back in time, and change it. So go fix it- I don't care, but don't you dare get us in any trouble with the Volturi, or hell, endanger us in any way. I won't hesitate to... fix the problem."

She turned to Emmett.

"Come unpack with me?" Emmett nodded, and said he'd be up in a minute.

His eyes were still fixed on Bella.

"Rose is right in her own way, Edward. But it isn't just your fault, it's all of ours." He looked at me with sad eyes. "Go fix it."

Emmett didn't usually have such a way with words. He was usually very laid back, and more of someone who spoke through actions, not words.

"I don't know how to fix it."

"Go get her. Talk to Charlie."

"I already called the producers of the show- they claim that contracts were signed, and Bella will stay there for the remainder of the show, unless they refuse to let her stay."

Talking to Charlie- well, myself talking to Charlie- was out of the question. He would surely blame me (the person at fault) for driving his daughter to drugs. Or at least not being there to stop it.

"Then we'll wait. Then, you have some groveling to do."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. No money is being made. Satisfied?**

_Thanks to Priya, God bless her soul, and to all of those who reviewed- and pardon my grammar, I'm young, and my Language teachers suck. _

_I'm sorry if the nicknames confuse you, I'll type them all at the bottom for you, just in case, alrighty? Love all of you reviewers- and don't worry, the story picks up soon. I just needed to introduce my OC's and give some personalities.  
_

_-Claps hands- Chapter commence..._

* * *

_Bella Swan_

Robert was just as... interesting as he had been last time. The pool was outdoor, but heated so it was usable in the harsh winters.

All the other people that had been in the house before were lounging around in chair, but one girl sat alone away from the rest- she had white blond hair, and striking gray eyes. I felt like she was watching me as I took a set next to Priyanka, who was sitting next to Robert.

Robert was in nothing but Donald Duck swim trunks. Decent body (for a human, but I ignored this). he was talking to Priyanka, who was listening very attentively.

"... and this one. I got it from falling off my bike as a kid. The rocks were all up in it, and the skin was just hanging off of it-"

"Ew!" Priyanka shrieked, but her eyes were wide with admiration.

"Yeah, and then they took this needle- oh, SB- everybody!" Robert called, sticking his arms into the air, as a grand gesture. "Meet Sarcastic Bitch!"

"Hi Sarcastic Bitch," The gray eye girl said. "Don't fret about the name. He's labeled me as LWG- little white girl. My real name is Coleen, and before you ask, blond is not my natural hair-color. It was a dare. I accepted the challenge."

Coleen (or was it LWG?) leaned back into her hair, putting her hands behind her head. She was fully clothed in an odd assortment of clothes, including a tuxedo jacket.

"Enough," snapped Robert at her. "Geez, are you PMSing? That one over there-" he pointed to the tanned boy I had seen earlier, "is Nikky."

"Nikky?" I asked, amused.

"Nickolas, Nick for short," the boy said, grinning.

"And that- that's Road." Robert pointed to the white-blond boy, who looked like he could tower over me, despite the fact he was sitting.

"It's Layne," "Road" said, rolling his eyes, but grinning.

I smiled at the pun.

"Then there Lacie, she isn't interesting enough to have a nickname," the other blond girl who had been speaking to Coleen frowned at Robert. Her face was a little chubby, and she had braces, even though she looked my age. There was rarely someone so old who had braces. Usually kids got that out of the way in Junior High.

"I don't need a stupid nickname. I'm not here to make friends."

Frowning, I asked her why she had been talking to Coleen- Little White Girl, earlier, if she wasn't trying to make friends. Lacie flushed, almost as badly as I usually do, and looked down at her toes, in her flip-flops. They were painted red.

Coleen grinned, and unlaced and relaced her purple converse, but didn't look as though she was going to give me an answer.

"Excuse me- but I was still introducing people!" Robert shouted, waving his arm in the air. I turned my eyes back to him reluctantly, thinking that the story behind Coleen and Lacie's first meeting was probably very interesting. I hoped I would hear it later.

"That girl over there-" I knew the girl as Kelsi Winters, the girl who had been interviewed just before me-"is called Kevin."

"Why?" I asked. The girl with a boys name grinned.

"I told him the story of cross-dress day at my old school, how I won an award for dressing up so well. He called me Kevin," she shrugged, as though it couldn't be helped.

"And she's M 'n M. Like the candy," Robert said, pointing at Emily. Emily didn't say anything, but simply sat down on the end of a vacant chair. She was looking around at everybody very quietly.

"And she's Priya." That was directed at Priyanka, who grinned at Robert with eyes that reminded me too much of mine with Edward. I quickly said all the names of the people I'd just met in my head quickly, trying to both remember them and keep Edward far from my thoughts.

"Sorry if I don't remember your names right away," I said, blushing.

Coleen waved a hand. "It's fine. I don't even remember what I ate for breakfast. Or if I did eat. Doesn't matter."

It explained her very thin exterior. I could see the bones on the back of her hands, and her eyes had very deep circles under them, like she hadn't slept in too many days. She probably hadn't.

"What about you?" I asked suddenly, turning to Robert.

"What about me?"

"What's your nickname?"

"You can call me Prince Charming if you like. Or amazing, yeah, that'll do-"

"Robby," Priyanka coughed into her hand, then bursting into childish giggles. Robert shook his head, blue eyes wide.

"No- I hate that-"

"She's sarcastic bitch, and I'm Little White Girl. Suck it the hell up! I hereby dub you Robby!" Coleen screamed, and then, putting her hand over her mouth she gave out an call stereotypically associated with Native Americans, and did a cannonball straight into the pool clothes and all.

Robert got the gist, and push Priyanka in. Priyanka wiped her sopping black hair from her eyes, her white teeth glimmering from lips open in surprise.

"Son of a- ugh!" She yelled splashing her arms, trying vainly to hit him. He just laughed, and he had dimples when he did.

I smiled, and jumped in, hoping that maybe it would cool off my overheated skin.

It ended with all of us- save Lacie who had gone inside after getting soaked from Coleen's cannonball, in the pool, fully clothed, and splashing each other like children.

Even Emily, standing on the edge of the pool, toed off her shoes and jumped in, plugging her nose delicately with her fingers.

We all came up screaming, and in a few peoples case, howling like wolves at the sun. I laughed, feeling a little less empty. There was no way that I could be sad when I was so surrounded by these people, and they were interesting enough to keep Edward from my mind.

Things were kind of looking up, I guessed.

_

* * *

_The white-blond girl sat, her eyes look very intense, flickering back at forth to each of us, at the card table.

"I know what your cards hold..." Coleen hummed- but I found myself acknowledging her as Little White Girl. I was also now responding to SB, as horrible as it sounded. Robert's nicknames had caught on, in some sense.

"Come on, LWG, we've been waiting for you to make your move, forever!"

Little White Girl looked astounded, her gray eyes popping from their sockets. "My goodness Robby... I didn't know that you were birthed from your mothers womb anticipating my next move in Connect Four..." She glared sarcastically. "I'm giving psychic readings too, if you didn't notice. Two things at once. Takes more braincells than you probably have in your whole brain. Shut the hell up."

He glared. "Move, LWG, or forfeit."

She dropped a black chip into the upright board. "Four in a row. I win," she hissed.

Robby's eyes narrowed, and he dumped all the chips out.

"Best four out of six..."

"Fine, give me a second, would you? Priya wants her future read, got that?"

Laying down cards on the card table with a pattern that I couldn't understand, LWG suddenly grinned up at Priyanka.

"You have love coming your way. Lucky you."

Lucky indeed, I thought dryly. Priya looked at me, grinning, and saw my expression. Frowning, she tried to engage me into the conversation.

"Do SB over here, I'm sure you'll tell her the same thing."

Little White Girl grinned, and turned to me, her gray eyes sparkling with mischeif. With a smooth swipe of her pale hand, she gathered all the cards together and began flawlessly shuffling them, something I never could have done in my state of chronic clumsiness. I would have sent the entire deck flying in all different directions across the room.

"For twenty dollars I can tell you a lot of things. For thirty I can tell you more... and for fifty? I can tell you everything."

I smiled a little, and held up my hands, showing I was broke. LWG laughed and began laying down cards very quickly, her eyes narrowed and focused, occasionally rising to give me a searching look.

"Ouch."

"What?" I asked, frowning, trying to make sense of the cards in front of me.

"Darkness. Lots of it, but there is a brief... relief? I'm unsure of how to describe it-"

"LWG. Make your move."

"Shut the hell up Robby, I'm reading here! Now... I see sadness, and then alleviation of your pain, but then there will be great struggle. I don't know the outcome. I'm sorry." LWG glanced up, her eyes sad. She swiped the cards together, and sad them aside. "But don't worry. My future is worse."

I tried to smile as best as I could, but my lips kept twitching downward, and foolish tears filled my eyes. I shakily picked up a black piece, and dropped it into the first slot I saw, and turning my eyes to Robert's, whose were surprisingly serious.

"You're move."

He moved.

We were in the break room in this... place. The only camera in here was from the corner closest to the entrance, and we were all facing it. LWG had the habit of flipping off the camera as much as she could, and then laughing hysterically. She had a laugh that could wake the dead. Loud and boisterous.

A little like Emmett's. Narrowing my eyes, I put another piece into the slot, on the game board.

Emily- M 'n M- sat in the far corner, sometimes looking up at us when we caused a commotion, or when Robert accused me of cheating. She was reading a book, or so it looked like. I found that more than once, her eyes simply sat still on the pages, as though she was staring through the book and not at it. She was so quiet, and aloof. It traitorously reminded me of the Cullen's.

Everything reminded me of them. The rain. The sun. Ice in my drinks. Food in general. My clumsiness. Blue. Topaz. Bronze. All of it was now thrown into the category of taboo, and I felt permanantly damaged. I couldn't even look at a fucking blue shirt without thinking of Edward anymore.

Little White Girl was whispering to Priya, and I tried to listen in. Distract myself.

"... of course. I can't live without it. I tried to go through rehab once, for my ex Chad. I couldn't do it. Withdrawal wasn't the part that held me back, I just... didn't like the weight my thoughts had. I won't do it. If you want to, later, I can give you something. I have plenty, stashed away-" LWG had a way of rambling, sometimes.

"What'd you bring in?" I asked, trying to move my lips as little as possible, my eyes flickering to the camera.

"LSD. It was the most inconspicuous, I figured. Simply to hide, you know. Come to my room, just before bed, okay? Come to say goodnight..." LWG winked. I grinned, feeling a little relieved.

Robert had let us in on the fact that he had brought in drugs with him, but that he would be waiting a while until he really needed them, because if we got caught and our drugs were taken away... Chaos would reign.

"Tonight."

"Tonight.

"Tonight!" Robert whooped, and we all hushed him quickly. I glanced up to see Emily's head duck behind her book, and her shoulders shake with silent laughter at Robert's antics.

I smiled a little.

* * *

_Coleen Crupp: Little White Girl, or LWG_

_Priyanka Natu: Priya_

_Robert Ellis: Robby_

_Nicholas Forest: Nikky_

_Layne Red: Road_

_Lacie Daven: Lacie_

_Belle Swan: Sarcastic Bitch, SB_

_Emily Pint: M n' M_

_Kelsi Winters: Kevin  
_


End file.
